All I Want Forever Is You
by SVUCSIWTRDOOLluver
Summary: This used to be my Christmas story for CSI: Miami, but instead I decided that this would be my holiday story, so for every holiday I'll post a few chapters, or maybe just one. Chapter 12 is up, please R&R!
1. Mistletoe Mishaps

Story just in time for Christmas!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TOO!!! ENJOY!!! (This is the same thing as my "All I Want For Christmas" story, just a different name!!

--

Calleigh's heels clicked along the halls of the lab as she held a ballistics report in her hand. She sighed, knowing that this was the last case that the day shift had to do before going home for the Christmas days. This year was day shift's year to be off, while swing and graveyard shift covered for them. Next year would be swing shift's year, and the year after that would be graveyard shift's year to be off. To be honest, Calleigh wasn't really looking forward to the holidays, as she would be spending it alone. Her father had flown back to Louisiana for Christmas, but Calleigh only had a few days off, she wouldn't have time to fly back.

Suddenly, she was stopped in her tracks by Ryan Wolfe, who threw her an apologetic grin. He smirked slightly and pointed upwards. Calleigh sighed, but looked up. There hung a bouquet of mistletoe. She rolled her eyes and when Ryan leaned forward, she held up the report. As his lips touched the report, Calleigh retorted,

"You had better hope that I don't tell Natalia on you,"

"Tell me on what?" Natalia said, walking up.

"Ooo, busted," Calleigh teased, poking Ryan in the side. Calleigh promptly grabbed Natalia and switched places with her. "There. Now, I have to go deliver a report." She added, and turned to see Eric Delko blocking her way.

"Nice earring, Cal," He said, flicking her little red and green bell earrings, so that they chimed softly. He pointed upwards and Calleigh thought, _oh my gosh, don't these men have enough to do instead of trying to trap me under the mistletoe?_ She blew out a breath and smacked Eric across the face with the folder.

"You better watch it, Eric, or I'll tell Bella on you."

"You wouldn't dare," He said, mockingly grabbing his heart.

"You bet your life I would. She's your girlfriend; I don't think she would like you trying to kiss other women."

"Yes Calleigh." Eric said, sighing dramatically. Calleigh rolled her eyes and went on her way, finally able to get to Horatio's office. She knocked on the open door, but there was no need. Horatio had heard her coming, her heels clicking on the floor, her earrings that she had worn for the past few weeks chiming, and her perfume wafted in before she even knocked. No, there was never any need for her to knock, but she didn't know that.

"Yes ma'am?" He asked, looking up at her. She smiled brightly at him and handed him the report.

"This report is special, it was kissed by Ryan and it bopped Eric in the head." She announced, smiling. He chuckled as he looked at it and then looked at her for the story. She told him, and they both shared a smile.

"So, you flying out to Louisiana this year, Calleigh?" He asked, and her face fell. He immediately regretted asking.

"No, can't. They're only giving us three days off, and that's just not enough time to fly out there and come back. I'd only be there for less than a day." She said, remorse filling her voice.

"I'll give you a few extra days off, if you want…" Horatio offered, and she shook her head.

"It's okay. What about you? Going to stay with Yelina and Ray Jr.?" She asked, and he shrugged.

"No, they're in Brazil still. And to answer your next question, no, they're not flying in for the holidays."

"That's too bad." She said sympathetically, and then Eric knocked on the door.

"Yes Eric?" Horatio said, standing up.

"H, Cal, here." He said, tossing two envelopes at Calleigh. He called over his shoulder, "I think they're invitations. Gotta go, ask Bella something." Calleigh raised her eyebrow at Horatio, who chuckled at Eric's hello-goodbye appearance. Calleigh tossed him the invitation and they ripped their envelopes open. Eric was right, they were invitations to the annual Christmas ball for the police officers and their dates. Calleigh knew that Horatio was going to sit this one out, like he always did. And she was going to go stag, just like she always did.

Not this year.

"Horatio, are you going to go?"

"Probably not." He said, still skimming over the invitation. "It doesn't say that I have to go, so I don't think I will. For one, I've got no one to go with."

"Oh you could go stag," She said dismissively, trying to get him to go. And he knew it.

"I don't do stag." He said, looking her in the eyes.

"Well then, I guess you'll have to go with me, because you are going to that party this year, even if you have to go with Rick." She said, putting her hands on his desk and leaning down so she could look him in the eye.

"Yeah right." He said, raising his eyebrow at her. She acted shocked, putting her hand to her mouth, making him think, _what?! What did I say?!_

"Horatio Caine, are you trying to tell me that you don't want to accompany me to the Christmas ball? I am insulted!"

"Calleigh, that's not what I…" She narrowed her eyes at him and stalked away, hiding a grin. She walked straight to her car and heard his quick footsteps behind her. She whirled around just as he grabbed her wrists and boxed her against her Hummer.

"I would love to accompany you to the ball." He said quietly, and the intensity in his voice almost had her boneless.

"I know. I was kidding." She said, the corners of her mouth twitching. He looked at her a long moment and then said,

"I can't believe I actually fell for that charade."

"But you did." She said, smiling winningly. He looked at her again, and they both became away of how close they were, and how close their mouths were. Horatio drew back, and Calleigh stood up straight.

"So I, will see you tonight at 8 then, correct?" He said, and she shook her head.

"Seven thirty, Handsome, we have to be there by 8." She smiled, waved at him and climbed in her Hummer, speeding home. After all, she only had a few hours to make herself beautiful and ravishing.

She wanted to make sure that Horatio didn't regret agreeing to accompany her, and at the same time she wanted him to notice her. Really, truly notice her, as for the longest time she had wanted to ask him out, but when the guy is your boss and your best friend, you're careful with stuff like that. For one, she didn't want to lose her relationship that she had with him now, and two, she didn't want her cases or job to be compromised.

As the clock ticked closer to 7:30, Calleigh took a shower, dressed, did her hair and makeup. By the time Horatio sounded the doorbell, she was ready.

--

Had to end it there, it was getting a little long. Since this is a Christmas gift, you get the next chapter with it! Read on, my friends, and MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!


	2. Unknown Identity

Second chapter to this story. MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND ENJOY!!!!

--

Calleigh strode to the door, a vision in red. Her blonde hair was straightened and laid around her shoulders with an elegant red bow at the top of her head, but to the side. Her makeup was normal, though she added red eye-shadow and a touch of green as well. Her lips were red, thanks to lipstick, and they glistened, thanks to red lips gloss, that just happened to sparkle a little as well. Her whole face just shimmered in the light, just a touch, thanks to some makeup that she had used on her whole face. Her shoulders were bare, as she wore a strapless dress. Her bare shoulders and neck gleamed as well, from the same makeup that she had used on her face. A simple red necklace lay at the base of her throat, in the shape of a heart. Her earrings were red too, but they chimed whenever she moved, as they were bells too. Her dress was satin and silk red, that had a line of sparkles around her waist. The neckline wasn't too low, but it was revealing enough to make any man jealous of Horatio that night. It fell to her ankles, and it was tight enough to accent her curves, but it looked too tight for dancing. As she walked, a split in the side went almost clean up to her thigh, and that made it easier to dance. Her red high heels were the same color as her dress, as was her toenails and fingernails.

Her green eyes sparkled as she opened the door to reveal a tux-wearing Horatio, who twisted a red rose in between his fingers, no doubt wishing that they were his sunglasses. He looked at her as she opened the door and instinctively inhaled, and got a whiff of her perfume that was a little bit flowery, but mostly was citrus smelling. It was driving him insane, but he managed to hide it. He smiled at her and she let him in. He noticed the bow in her hair and said,

"Well, I got you a rose for your hair, but it seems like, you don't need it."

"Nonsense." She said, gently taking it from him with a warm thanks. She strode to the mirror and carefully took out the bow and replaced it with the rose. She turned back to Horatio and he noticed the slit in her dress. He closed his eyes for a moment, praying that his self-control would last through the night. She smiled at him and said,

"Will I do?"

"No," He said slowly, cocking his head. Her brows furrowed, and he smiled, saying,

"You'll rock." She grinned at this and then handed him a bowtie. He looked at her curiously, and she said,

"It matches my dress. I knew you wouldn't wear one, and if you're not going to wear a tie, you at least have to wear a bow tie. Or would you prefer a tie?"

"Um, actually, a tie would be better,"

"Then give me a second." She disappeared into her bedroom and brought back out a tie. She handed it to him, and he tried to get it on, to no success. She rolled her eyes and got up in front of him, grabbing the tie as he abandoned his fruitless efforts. She tied the tie with ease and stood back, admiring her handiwork. She nodded, and he asked teasingly,

"Will I do?"

"Yeah, you'll do." She said, sighing. Then, she grinned and said, "Kidding. You look dashing, Handsome."

"Thanks, I think." He said, and then said, "We'd better get going."

"Oh yeah!" She said, grabbing her purse. He led the way out as she locked her apartment. They got in Horatio's Hummer, and as they pulled up, they noticed that Eric and Bella's car was already there, as was Ryan and Natalia, and Alexx and her husband Christopher's car.

"I guess we're fashionably late," Calleigh said, slipping out. Her high heel hit the ice and down she went. Right before she hit the ice, Horatio's arms grabbed her and stopped her from hitting the ice. He helped her regain her balance, and then held out his arm to her. She slipped her hand in his arm to make sure that she wouldn't fall again and they walked to the doors of the hall. They walked into the hallway and then through the doors of the hall.

Ryan, Natalia, Eric, Bella, Alexx, Christopher and Frank (who had come stag, forced to come by Natalia and Alexx) looked over as the doors opened. Their jaws dropped.

"Who in the hell is H with?" Eric asked Ryan, and he shrugged, his eyes on the couple.

"I can't tell. Whoever she is, she's blonde and smoking hot!" Ryan said, earning a smack from Natalia.

"Well, I guess Horatio's found himself a girlfriend, finally," Frank said, looking at his friend and the woman she was with. Natalia and Bella were sitting next to each other and whispered to each other. Natalia said,

"I'm glad Horatio's got a new girl, but I wonder who she is?"

"I dunno," Bella said, adding, "But as long as she makes him happy, I say full speed ahead, right?"

"Yeah, definitely. He's been alone way too long. He deserves to be happy," Natalia whispered back, and then they sat up straight as Alexx and Christopher added their input.

"Well, I just hope that whoever she is, she makes him happy." Alexx said, and Christopher, who knew Horatio pretty well, said,

"Must be a special woman to sneak into Horatio's heart like that."

"Yeah. You know, maybe they're just here as friends or something," Alexx said, and everyone looked at her. Eric said, "Yeah right, look at the way he's looking at her. There's no way that they could be just friends."

"Speaking of friends, where's Calleigh?" Natalia said, and they all looked around for the blonde bullet girl.

"She's not here," Bella said, and Alexx sighed.

"Give her a half hour, and if she doesn't show I'll call her and drag her over here." Alexx said, and they all nodded, going back to discussing Horatio's date as they watched Horatio and the woman he was with make the rounds, talking to the chief and important people like that.

--

Well, I guess since it is Christmas, I'll give you the third chapter as well. So, like before, read on, my people, read on!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!


	3. Alcove Kiss

Third and final chapter to my Christmas story!! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND ENJOY!!!

--

Horatio clung to Calleigh's arm as he went through the formal duties assigned to him as he was Lieutenant. She gracefully went through the motions and greeted everyone graciously. The chief took Horatio aside for a moment, and Calleigh's gaze wandered to the fireplace. It amazed her how the hall looked like a winter wonderland, yet there was still a fire in the fireplace.

Meanwhile, the chief told Horatio,

"Ms. Duquesne's a very special woman, wouldn't you say so Lieutenant?"

"Yes, she is." Horatio said quietly, wondering what he was getting at.

"Horatio, I'll get to the point." _Thank you Chief_ Horatio thought, and the chief said,

"If you and Ms. Duquesne decided to pursue a, uh, relationship other than otherwise allowed, you have the department's approval and blessing. I've already let Mr. Stetler know, so he won't be bothering you."

"Thank you sir," Horatio said, stunned of his good luck. The chief clapped him on the shoulder, saying,

"We wouldn't want to lose our best Lieutenant and ballistics expert, now would we?"

"No sir." He agreed, and the chief walked away. Horatio went to find Calleigh, who had gone out into the garden. She was watching the water fountain and heard Horatio walked up behind her.

"So, how did the talk with the chief go?"

"Not bad, just regular political stuff."

"You mean regular political bull, right?"

"Yeah," He agreed, and the two shared a smile. They heard Mariah Carey start to sing, "All I Want For Christmas Is You." And they saw people getting out on the dance floor and dancing to the dance that was made up for that song. Horatio looked at Calleigh and cocked his head, saying,

"May I have this dance, Calleigh?"

"Sure," She said warmly, taking his hand. They walked back onto the dance floor and began the tricky moves to the dance. It was almost like dancing a dance like the Tango, as it was pretty fast-moving. Horatio dipped, turned and spun Calleigh, while she flew all over the place. When it was finally over, they were both out of breath and in need of something cool to drink. They spotted the team staring at them, and Calleigh went to get drinks while Horatio walked over to the team's table.

"Hey H, I didn't know you could dance." Eric said, and Horatio shrugged, saying,

"You never asked."

"So, who's your date?" Alexx asked slyly, and Horatio was confused.

"You don't know? Plus she's not my date, we're just here as friends." He received six 'yeah right' looks, and he said, "Honest!" Just then, Alexx said,

"Oh, hang on, I've got to call Calleigh and drag her hide over here." She pulled out her cell and dialed Calleigh, while Horatio ducked to tie his shoe to hide his grin. Alexx waited a few minutes as it rang, and then heard Calleigh say,

"Duquesne."

"Calleigh, where on this earth are you and why aren't you at this party? And what is that background noise?"

"Um, Alexx, I'm at the same party you're at." Calleigh said slowly, and Alexx looked around, saying,

"I don't see you."

"Well, I see you. Hang on." Calleigh laughed as she walked towards the team's table. Horatio spotted her and a smile lit up his face.

"Alexx, look to your right a little." Calleigh said, and Alexx did. She gasped and dropped her phone onto the table. Everyone followed her gaze and saw Calleigh approaching as the woman that Horatio was with earlier. She handed a drink to Horatio and sat down in a chair, saying, "Whew. That dance was hard work." She took a sip and looked around at everyone who was still staring at her, besides Horatio.

"Keep staring, I might do a trick." She said dryly, and everyone managed to blink, look sheepish and look away. She rolled her eyes at Horatio who chuckled. His hand slid over to hers and squeezed it, making her look at him. He jerked his head over to the garden, and she nodded. Horatio stood up, saying,

"We're going for a walk,"

"Too stuffy in here." Calleigh said, downing her drink. She walked away, Horatio hot on her heels. The others watched them go and Alexx said,

"Horatio was telling the truth when he said that they weren't dating. But I bet that by the end of tonight they will be." Eric and Ryan decided to live dangerously and they said,

"You're on, Alexx. If they're not dating by the end of the party tonight, we'll give you 50 bucks each."

"You are oh so on, boys," Alexx said sassily, and they all sat back to enjoy the rest of the party.

Meanwhile, Calleigh and Horatio walked through the garden paths until they came to a secluded spot.

"So, did you want to talk about something?" She asked, turning to face Horatio. He stepped closer to her, forcing her into the little alcove in the bushes. He lowered his face to hers and breathed,

"No."

With that he captured her lips with his, and she responded, making him change the angle of the kiss. Her arms slid around his neck while his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. When they both had to come up for air, Horatio laid his lips on her forehead, saying,

"And I thought my self control would last. Silly me." She laughed and drew back to look him in the eyes.

"What brought this on? Not that I'm complaining," She said, accentuating that remark by kissing him deeply.

"The chief told me that if we wanted to pursue a relationship that we would have the department's approval and blessing." She looked at him shocked and he brushed his lips down her jaw, murmuring,

"And he already dealt with Stetler for us. If he bothers you, let me know and I'll take it to the chief. That is, if you really want to pursue a relationship with me," He looked in her eyes and she raised her eye brow.

"As if I'm going to say no," She teased, and he pressed his lips to hers, the corners of his lips twitching. After a few more private moments, they slipped out of the alcove and started back to the party, the only difference being that they were closer and now holding hands. As they walked back in, the team's eyes zeroed in on them. With chagrin Eric and Ryan noticed their joined hands, something Alexx noticed with triumph. Calleigh and Horatio said a quick goodbye and left. Eric and Ryan handed over 100 dollars to Alexx, who smirked and said,

"Anyone else want to take a bet with me?"

"Never again," Eric muttered, and Ryan echoed,

"Yeah, never, ever again,"

Alexx, Bella and Natalia laughed at them as Horatio escorted Calleigh to the car. When they got up to Horatio's townhouse, she looked at Horatio, and he slowly approached her. She backed up a little, a smile spreading across her face. He took another step towards her, and her back hit the wall. Horatio stepped right up in front of her and slowly trapped her wrists loosely in his hands. He laid his forehead on hers and gazed into her clear green eyes for a long moment. Then, he smiled slightly and let go of her left wrist and swept his hand up her side to her neck where he lingered, and then up to where she had the rose in her hair. He carefully took it out, his eyes never leaving Calleigh's eyes. He swept the rose down her neck gently and whispered,

"What do you want for Christmas, sweetheart?"

"You could've just asked me, no big deal, Handsome." She said, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Too late. Do I have to repeat myself?"

"Maybe." She said slyly, and he leaned forward, his lips almost touching hers as he murmured,

"What do you want for Christmas, Calleigh?"

"Those weren't your exact words." She said, smiling. He raised one eyebrow at her, and she slipped her free hand up to his face and touched his nose gently, saying softly, "You, handsome. All I want for Christmas is you."

"You've got me, sweetheart. You've already got me." He whispered, and pressed his lips to hers. The rose fell forgotten to the floor as he pulled her up into his arms and they sat on the couch together.

A few hours later after a movie watching marathon, Horatio noticed Calleigh was asleep. He covered her with a blanket and slipped out, leaving her the rose in a vase on the coffee table next to her.

--

THE END!!! Tons of fluff, but that's what Christmas is all about! Well, that and the gifts, and the parties, and the family stuff that is most of the time not fun, but sometimes is, and, I'm going to stop rambling now, sorry! Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! Reviews most definitely welcome, and MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! (PS, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO LawDog FOR THE REVIEW THAT MADE ME CHANGE HORATIO PINNING CALLEIGH ON THE COUCH TO WHAT I CHANGED IT TO! THAT WAS SUCH A GOOD IDEA, AND YOU ARE AWESOME FOR SUGGESTING IT!!!


	4. Stepping In

All right, I decided that this is going to be my holiday story! See, instead of writing separate stories for each holiday, (as I love to write about holidays) I'm going to do one big story and just add chapters for each holiday, and maybe some in between if I get hit by a great idea. Well, here's one for New Years, even though it's really late. Sorry, and ENJOY!!!

--

About a week later was the day before New Years Eve, and Alexx decided to throw a party for the team. She strode into the lab one day, a stack on envelopes in her hand and a determined walk to her stride. She walked into Horatio's office and stood in front of him at his desk.

"Here, Horatio." She said, handing him an envelope.

"What do we have here?" He asked, slowly opening it. He scanned the invitation and his shoulders sagged as he looked up at Alexx. "I have to go, don't I?"

"Uh huh." She said, nodding. Horatio blew out a breath and nodded.

"This is one of your schemes to keep me from working on holidays, isn't it?"

"Uh huh." Alexx nodded, said goodbye and left. She walked down to the break room and saw Eric, Ryan, Natalia and Valera in there. She walked in and handed one envelope to each of them.

"Can I bring Bella?" Was the first thing Eric asked, and Alexx nodded, smiling. Eric was always up for a party.

"Cool, how late is it going to run?" Ryan asked, and Alexx shrugged, saying,

"Oh, maybe 'til 3 or so." Ryan nodded, and Natalia smiled and said,

"I'll be there."

"Me too. Hey, can I bring my boyfriend, Adam?" Valera asked, and Alexx nodded, while Natalia said,

"Finally I get to meet the guy," Alexx rolled her eyes as Eric, Ryan and Natalia ganged up on Valera, asking her about her new boyfriend. She walked down to the gun lab and saw Calleigh working hard, while Frank talked to her.

"Hey you two, I've got something for you." She said, walking in. They looked at her and she handed the last two envelopes to them. They opened them and before Frank could say anything, Alexx said severely, "Yes you have to come, Frank." He nodded, and Calleigh didn't say anything. She just got back to work, muttering,

"I'll be there, Alexx." Frank walked out with Alexx and left Calleigh to her work. When they left she half-smiled and went into the gun vault. She saw Horatio waiting for her and she smiled brightly, saying,

"Sorry Handsome, Alexx got to me last." He nodded and asked quietly,

"So, are you going to make me go alone?"

"Of course not," She admonished, and added, "Would you make a lady go stag to a party?"

"I would never do that, not to my lady," He teased quietly, and she smiled. He brushed two fingers down the length of her jaw and brushed his thumb over her chin. "I'm headed to my place; I'll see you there, right?" He said, and she nodded.

"I just have to finish up this one report, put it on your desk and then I'll be there. I promise I won't take too long." She said, and he let his hand slide down her hair and ended up at her back. He pulled her close for a moment and kissed her softly before nodding and slipping out. She smiled and went back to work.

She and Horatio had made a pact that they would try not to work so much, so they would have time to spend together. Even if they did have to work, like a triple-murder that Horatio had to stay later for, or a drive-by that Calleigh had to stay later for, the other person would stay with them and help if they could or just stay with them, as they each enjoyed the others company, even if they didn't talk.

When Calleigh finished working, she put her report on Horatio's desk and got in her Hummer, heading to Horatio's place. When she was on her way, her cell rang, and it was Carly from one of her dad's favorite bars.

"Calleigh, it's Carly."

"Hey, what's up?"

"Your dad's here, and he's refusing to take a cab."

"All right, I'm on my way." Calleigh said, sighing.

"Thanks. Sorry about bothering you,"

"No, it's not you, Carly, it's my father."

"Yeah, I know. See you in a few."

"Yeah. See you." She hung up and with a heavy sigh she changed course, pulling out her cell phone and dialing Horatio.

"Yeah, Horatio."

"Hey Handsome."

"Where are you?"

"On my way to pick up my father, Handsome, I'm sorry,"

"It's okay, sweetheart, go ahead and get your dad." Horatio said softly, and Calleigh smiled softly.

"I'll be there right afterward, Handsome, I promise."

"Good. I'll see you then, Beautiful."

"All right. Bye."

"Bye." Horatio said, and hung up. He leaned against the counter of his house and sighed, knowing what an emotional burden Calleigh's father was to her. He looked around, as the place was set for his and Calleigh's date. He had set some candles out, and dinner was keeping warm in the oven.

--

Calleigh clutched her coat tighter to her as she walked up the steps that led to Horatio's house. The wind was chilly that night, and she knocked quietly at the door. The door swung open and Horatio's eyes met hers. She smiled at him and he stood aside to let her pass him. She went to take off her coat, but Horatio's hands beat her to it. He slid her coat off of her and she slipped her shoes off. She turned and found herself enveloped in Horatio's arms. She slipped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, smiling slightly. Horatio smiled into her hair and whispered,

"Is your father okay?"

"Peachy. Drunk as anything, but still a polite Southern gentleman, with an addiction to serenading the other bar customers." She said softly, and Horatio drew back, framing her face with his hands. He looked deep into her eyes and saw that her father was torturing her slowly. He let his hands slide down to her hips and jerked her up into his arms.

"C'mon." He whispered into her neck and took her to his bed. He lay down with her still in his arms and she snuggled up next to him.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her tightly until she drifted off to sleep. Then, and only then did he close his eyes and drift off too. He had forgotten about their romantic dinner because all he wanted was for Calleigh to go to sleep and forget about her father for a while. He groaned drowsily when he realized that the next day would be New Year's Eve, and they had a party to go to. With that he dropped off.

--

The first chapter of my New Year's story!!! The next chapter is posted with this one, since I was sooooo late in updating. (Sorry!) I hope you liked it, and can anyone tell me when Horatio's birthday is? And Calleigh's birthday? And anyone else from CSI: Miami that you know of? (The characters, not the people please!) (Unless you only know the people, then I'll just use that as the characters birthday) THANKS SO MUCH!!! Adios for now!!!


	5. Pillow Fight

Chapter 2 of my New Year's part is up!!! Once again, I am so sorry that this is so late, but I wrote the first chapter, and forgot about posting it! That just goes to show you how much of a complete idiot I am! Thanks for putting up with my forgetfulness and idiocy, and ENJOY!!!

--

When the morning sun streamed through the windows, Calleigh sat up with a yawn. She blinked a few times and felt a hand stroking her hair away from her face. She smiled gently and put her hands to her hair, trying to flatten it.

"I look like hell, don't I?" She said, biting her lip.

"No, you look beautiful." Horatio said quietly, and sat up next to her. She looked at him and grinned, saying,

"Well, I really can't say the same thing about you, Handsome."

"And why not?" He asked, trying to be indignant. She covered her mouth with one hand and stifled a laugh.

"You look like you've got two big horns on your head," She said, holding back her laughter. Horatio looked puzzled at her, and then looked in his mirror. The way his eyebrows shot up made Calleigh draw her knees up to her face and burst out laughing.

"Aw, be quiet." Horatio muttered, trying to smash down the two 'horns' that had stuck up on his head with his red hair. When she didn't stop laughing, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. She smiled and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, it's on, Handsome." She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, jumping of the bed.

"She returned fire! That means war!" Horatio said, a smile on his face too. He threw a pillow at her just as another one hit him in the face. He narrowed his eyes at her, and with a laugh she ran out, grabbing a few pillows to take with her. Horatio grabbed a few pillows too, and ran out after her. He froze in the living room, looking around for Calleigh.

"Boo!" She said, jumping out and hitting him with a pillow. That caught him off-guard, so Calleigh slipped out of sight, still laughing. He caught a glimpse of her and tossed a pillow at her, but missed. Her laughter echoed through his townhouse, and Horatio still couldn't find her.

Finally, Horatio felt arms slip around his neck from behind, and lips pressed to the back of his neck.

"Gotcha." She whispered, and Horatio smiled, raising his hands in surrender and dropping his pillows. Calleigh smiled and Horatio twisted around, slipped his arms around her waist. She laid her head on his shoulder, and one of his hands came up to press into the back of her head.

"We should get ready for work, sweetheart," He whispered, though he never wanted to move. She nodded, and slipped out of his arms. They got dressed for work and then drove to the lab.

On the way there, Calleigh slipped her hand over to Horatio's hand that rested on the armrest and entwined her fingers with his. He glanced at her, and she rested her head against the headrest and smiled at him. He couldn't help but grin back, and then when they pulled up at the lab, he reluctantly pulled his hand free from hers and when they met again in front of the Hummer, she slipped her hand into his again. They walked in, and Stetler was walking in the hall. Calleigh went to pull her hand from his, but Horatio tightened his grip and put his arm around Calleigh's waist. She slipped her arm around his waist, and Horatio's eyes dared Stetler to say anything as they passed. Stetler glared at them as they passed, but kept his mouth shut. Calleigh buried her face in his shoulder to hide her smile, and then she slipped out of his arms.

"I'll see you later, Handsome." She said, and walked off to her gun lab. He smiled gently at her retreating figure and went into his office to catch up on paperwork before he had to leave to get ready for Alexx's New Year's party.

--

At the end of the day, a knock came at Horatio's door. He expected Calleigh to be there, but instead he found Alexx standing in front of his desk.

"What are you doing here?" She said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

"Um, leaving." He said, trying to not look guilty.

"Yeah. Sure." She said, narrowing her eyes and not believing him at all.

"All right, all right, I'll go get Calleigh, and we'll get out of here."

"Good." She said, and watched him as he got his stuff together and walked out. He walked down to the gun lab and found Calleigh bent over some paperwork. He could hear some music playing, and his ears strained to hear it. He wasn't sure what it was, so he walked in silently and said quietly,

"Knock knock knock." Calleigh glanced over her shoulder and grinned at him.

"Hang on a sec, Horatio, I just need to finish this." She called to him, and he nodded, listening to the song. He watched Calleigh as he listened and smiled, thinking that the lyrics were describing him perfectly.

'_Cause I've got a woman who's better than most_

_And I've made a mess of her plans_

_Starting today_

_All I'm gonna be is her man_

'_Cause I've been a wild catter_

_And a go-go getter_

_Been an SOB_

_Right down to the letter_

_I've had misadventures_

_I've even got pictures_

_I'm even more than I can stand_

_But startin' today_

_All I'm gonna be is her man_

"Done." Calleigh muttered, and switched the music off. Horatio was startled out of her reverie and Calleigh smiled at him.

"Ready, sweetheart?" He said, and she smiled, nodding. He offered her his arm, and with a smile bright enough to light up the whole lab she took it, shrugging off her lab coat. She grabbed her purse and walked with Horatio out of the lab. On the way, Horatio asked,

"What was that song we were listening to?"

"In the lab? That was Gary Allan, "Her Man" I think it's called. Yeah, that's what it's called."

"I liked it." He said, and she laid her head on his shoulder as they made their way to the Hummer.

Horatio took Calleigh back to her apartment, so she could get dressed. He went back to his townhouse, and when the clock struck 9, he was at Calleigh's door. She opened it and smiled at him. He couldn't help but stare at her; she wore a close-fitting tank top that was a olive-green sweater with a few sparkles on it. She wore a pair of black slacks and a pair of green pumps that matched her sweater. She had on a light jacked that was black, and green jewels dangled from her ears. Her hair was swept back in an elegant bun, and her makeup was flawless. She smiled at him, and invited him in.

"I'd better not, sweetheart, we're already late." Calleigh looked at her watch and nodded, grabbing her purse and walking out, locking her door. He placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the Hummer. She shot him a smile and climbed into the Hummer and they drove to Alexx's house that was already abuzz with lights and chatter. When they walked in, Bella and Natalia immediately dragged Calleigh away, and Horatio was pulled into the crowd by Eric and Ryan.

Horatio sighed, he still had a few hours to go, and then some, no doubt, before he could escape with his Calleigh. He smiled at the thought of his Calleigh.

--

This was getting a little long, so I had to end it there. The next chapter has the countdown and all that, and I updated all the chapters together since it was so late! (I apologize for that again!) Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it and adios for now!!!


	6. Countdown Curses

Chapter 3 of my New Year's part is up!!! You're no doubt fed up with me apologizing, but this is sooo late I need to apologize and beg for your forgiveness! I'M SO SORRY!! I think that's all I have to say, so ENJOY!!!

--

Calleigh was laughing and sipping a glass of sparkling apple cider when she heard music start to play. She, along with Natalia, Bella and Alexx, stopped to listen to what was being playing.

"Alexx, did you know about this?" Calleigh questioned, and Alexx shook her head, saying,

"Nope. I guess someone brought some music to play." All of a sudden, Natalia burst out laughing, and Bella groaned.

"And who else would do that besides the dynamic duo?" Bella said, and pointed. Alexx and Calleigh looked where she was pointing, and saw Eric and Ryan setting up speakers. They both looked at each other and rolled their eyes. A song began to play, and Calleigh recognized it as "Love Story" by Taylor Swift. Calleigh looked across the crowd and locked eyes with Horatio, who started walking towards her.

Just as he reached her, he held out his hand, silently asking her to dance. She nodded and set her drink aside as he pulled her onto the dance floor.

"You know this dance?" She said in Horatio's ear, and he nodded.

"Do you?" He asked, and she nodded. With a grin, he added, "Then let's go!" She nodded, and they began the steps to the dance.

When they got to the key change with _marry me, Juliet_ the dance began to pick up, and Calleigh and Horatio were flying, perfectly in sync. In fact, the other dancers stopped to watch them dance. When the last note played, Calleigh fell back against Horatio's chest, he caught her and they looked into each other's eyes like they were supposed to. They kept staring at each other, and only after a few breathless moments did they realize that the whole crowd was cheering for them. They both looked away from each other and into the cheering crowd. With a grin Calleigh stood up straight and Horatio slipped his arm around her waist. When the cheering died down, the couple vanished into the crowd, headed for a table to sit down at. When they finally got there, Calleigh collapsed into Horatio's chest and sat on his lap, both of them breathless with laughter.

But then, Calleigh's laughter suddenly died. She stood up so fast Horatio wasn't sure where she was. He looked up and saw her sitting on a chair so stiff that she could've been made out of wax.

"Sweetheart, what's up?" He said, leaning across the table and reached out to her hand. She said stiffly,

"Look who just arrived." Horatio cocked his head, and then turned around and saw Jake Berkeley striding in, dressed up in a suit. Inwardly, Horatio groaned, waiting for Jake to spot Calleigh. When he did, a smile lit up his face and he strode over to Calleigh, sitting next to her.

"Hey Cal." He said softly, and she looked at him coolly.

"Hello Jake."

"I just got back from my assignment, and, I decided I made a huge mistake." He said, keeping his distance, wisely, from Calleigh.

"Of course you did, but what mistake would that be?" She said icily, and he raised an eyebrow, saying,

"Letting you go."

"Ah. Well, too late for regrets now, Jake." She said, smiling without any touch of warmth.

"Too late?"

"Yes, Jake. Too late. As hard as it is to believe, I've moved on."

"With who? Delko? Wolfe?"

"No. But you're close." Calleigh said, and Horatio cleared his throat gently, saying,

"Jake, may I have a word with you?"

"Sure, Lieutenant." Jake said, getting up and glancing back at Calleigh. When they both disappeared, Calleigh blew out a breath and followed them. She kept out of sight, but could hear everything.

"So, do you know who Calleigh's dating?" That was Jake, she could tell.

"Yes, actually I do." Horatio said, and Calleigh bit her lip, imagining Jake's response.

"Who?"

"That would be me."

"You."

"Yes, me. Do you have a problem with that Jake?"

"Hell yeah I have a problem with that! You are her supervisor for one, and two, she's mine!"

"Jake, from what she told me, you two were over."

"Well, then, she's a liar!"

"Liar, am I?" Calleigh said, deciding to intervene and striding in. She walked right to Horatio and put her hand in his.

"Jake, just walk away before you do something that you'll regret." Horatio warned, and Jake seemed speechless for a moment. He finally nodded, and said angrily,

"One day you'll regret this, Calleigh, you will regret dumping me and hooking up with your supervisor. I swear you will!" He strode away into the darkness, and Calleigh sighed, putting her head back and closing her eyes. Horatio pulled her into his arms, and she let her head fall on his shoulder, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let her lean against him for a long moment. He murmured against her hair,

"Ready to go back in, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, sure." Calleigh sighed, and drew back. She pressed her lips to his for a moment, and then they walked back into Alexx's house for the party. They were just in time, because they saw that the ball had begun to drop on the TV. Horatio wrapped his arm around her waist and they counted together,

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!" Everyone said, and Horatio slipped one hand up to Calleigh's face and slipped it around the base of her neck as she tipped her face upwards and met his lips with hers. A few moments later, they surfaced and saw that Eric and Bella were still in a lip lock, along with Ryan and Natalia, and Alexx and her husband. Calleigh tried to hide a yawn, but Horatio caught her hand and led her out, knowing that they wouldn't be missed. They drove back to Calleigh's townhouse, and when they got there, Horatio walked her inside and when she went to turn the lights on, he stopped her and shut the front door behind him. Calleigh looked around in the dark and whispered,

"Horatio?"

"Right beside you, Calleigh." He murmured into her ear, and she smiled. His arm encircled her waist and she felt her back press against the door. He buried his face in her hair and whispered,

"What's your New Year's resolution, Calleigh?"

"Um, one, to recycle more and be more 'green' and two, stop thinking about Jake so much and think about you more." He smiled in her hair and kissed her lips softly. "What about yours, Horatio?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Let's see, how about, one, I'm stealing yours, by the way, is to be more 'green' and two, stop being such a workaholic and spend more time with you." He murmured at her ear, and she smiled, kissing his jaw. He sighed, and she kept kissing his jaw. "You have no idea how nice that feels." He whispered, and she smiled.

"I've got an idea, actually," She said quietly, and his frame shook with quiet laughter for a moment.

"I'd better go." He said reluctantly, and she nodded. He stepped out of her arms and pressed a firm kiss on her lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked, knowing that they had to work the next day.

"Definitely. I'll pick you up, if you want." He said, pausing at the door.

"Sure." She said warmly, and he smiled, silently slipping out the door. As soon as he was gone, Calleigh wanted to run after him, beg him to stay. She paused, with a moments hesitation, and then she threw open the door. It was too late, Horatio was already in the Hummer and the Hummer was disappearing from her sight. With a sigh she shut the door and leaned against it. She sighed again and slipped to her bedroom to go to bed.

--

End of my New Year's part! The next chapter will be the inauguration of Barack Obama! Sorry for those who don't like Obama, but he's gonna change the country and fix the economy, so he's just better!! I've haven't finished it yet, but I promise it'll be up soon! After that, I might do Groundhog Day, or just skip to Valentine's Day. Review and let me know what you think, tell me which holiday to do, and if you have ideas, I would love them! Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it and adios for now!!


	7. Slow Dancing

Chapter 1 of my Valentine's part is up! I was going to do the inauguration, but I was really late, and I couldn't think of anything to write about it! Then, I was going to do the Groundhog Day thing, but I realized it wouldn't really matter in Miami, as it never snows there. So, I skipped right to Valentine's Day! ENJOY!!!

--

About a month later, filled with hectic cases, it was a week until Valentine's Day. Everywhere Calleigh went, she heard Natalia, Valera and Bella chatting about their plans. (Bella is a lab tech like Valera) She knew that she hadn't spent any time with Horatio in a few weeks now, ever since Stetler had been riding Horatio to get caught up on all the cold cases and everything. Horatio hadn't been in the field in a few weeks too, and Calleigh knew that he hated it.

She herself had been working her fingers to the bone, as Stetler wanted her to help with dayshift, as their ballistics expert was gone on vacation. She stayed late, and barely went home, and whenever she did go home, it was only to sleep, grab a bite to eat and then go back to work. The only reason she was able to get up in the morning was because she knew she would get to see Horatio, even if they never got to talk.

The week flew by, and finally it was Saturday. Calleigh strode right up to Stetler when she was finished working, which was about 5pm and said,

"Rick, Horatio and I are taking the rest of today off. No calls, no nothing. Got it?" Stetler glared at her, and said,

"I don't think so, Duquesne."

"Yeah, I think so. I'm maxed out on overtime, and so is Horatio. I'll bet that if I go to the sheriff he'll agree with me. In fact, he might order me and Horatio to take a week off, just so he doesn't have to pay us anymore overtime…" Calleigh said, and trailed off.

"Are you threatening me, Duquesne?" Stetler said, his voice hard.

"Who, me? Nope, not me. I'm just laying out your options."

"Fine." Stetler growled at her. "You've got today and Sunday, but you come back to work on Monday. Both of you, on time."

"Got it, Rick." Calleigh said, her 200 watt smile back on her face, though it was cold as steel.

"Get outta my sight." Rick growled at her, and she disappeared to Horatio's office without another word. She softly knocked at the door and found Horatio with a stack of paperwork in front of him. He looked up at her and smiled softly at her.

"Hey." He said, and she smiled at him, saying,

"Hey. Can I come in?"

"Sure." Horatio said warmly, though Calleigh could see the tiredness in his eyes. She slipped in and shut the door. She walked over to the windows and pulled the shades, darkening the office. Horatio gave a questioning to look Calleigh, but she just smiled gently and stood behind him. Her hands rested on his shoulders and began to massage the tension away. He sighed, dropping his head into his hands and sighing.

"I've got a surprise for you." She whispered in his ear, and he mumbled,

"Better than this? I don't think so." She smiled and laughed in his ear, saying,

"Yeah, better than this." Horatio was silent, and Calleigh continued the massage. They fell into a companionable silence for a few minutes, and then Calleigh slipped her hands into his hair. He twisted the chair around suddenly and tugged her down onto his lap. She laughed and slipped her arms around his neck, while he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. She laid her head on his chest and he laid his head on hers, murmuring,

"God I've missed you, Calleigh."

"I've missed you too, Horatio." She whispered, and he sighed. "What's wrong?" She added, drawing back a little.

"We've got to go back to work." He said regretfully, brushing his thumb down her jaw line. She grinned at him, and shook her head.

"Nuh uh!" She said, and he looked at her in confusion. Suddenly, a bang came at the door and Stetler's voice said,

"Duquesne, Horatio, get out of here now, before I report you for insubordination!"

"Yes sir!" Calleigh called, and climbed out of Horatio's chair. Horatio looked at her and shook his head at her as he got to his feet, muttering,

"I'm not even going to ask." Calleigh grinned at him before taking his hand and walking out the door, passing by a fuming Stetler and walking out the front doors, still holding hands. When they got to the garage, Horatio suddenly grabbed Calleigh's waist and gently put her back to the Hummer. He put his forehead on hers and closed his eyes as he breathed in her perfume. She breathed in his cologne for a few moments, and then she slid her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He slid one hand up to the back of her head, securing her face to his and when air became a priority, Horatio broke the kiss.

"Let's go out." He said impulsively, and she looked at him.

"As in…" She said, allowing him to elaborate.

"As in out to dinner, at a restaurant." A smile slowly spread across her face and she said quietly,

"I'd like that."

"Then let's go." Horatio said, and released her. She climbed into the Hummer, and he climbed in the driver's seat. He drove them to a restaurant, and Calleigh recognized it as a dancing place too. She raised her eyebrows at Horatio, and he just smiled as he helped her out of the car.

"What about reservations?" She whispered to him, and Horatio just raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Oh yeah, forgot who I was talking to for a moment." He grinned at her as they walked inside. Calleigh was awestruck by the decorations, it was like a palace dining area. They were seated, and served drinks with a flourish, along with menus. When both Calleigh and Horatio had placed their orders and eaten, a song started up. Horatio stood up and held his hand out to Calleigh. She smiled at him and took it as he pulled her up. They stood in the middle of the dance floor and Horatio pulled her close as Shania Twain sang, "You've Got A Way." Calleigh put a hand on his shoulder and the other in Horatio's hand as they swayed to the music. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed, completely content. Horatio dipped her a few times, and a few times he spun her around, but gently, like the music.

When the last few notes played and the music stopped, Calleigh drew back and Horatio kissed her temple gently. She smiled at him, and he jerked his head to the door. She nodded, and he took her hand as they walked out.

--

One more part to go for my Valentine's Day part, but I'm not done with it yet, so when I get it done, it'll be up. And if this doesn't seem like a Valentine's Day chapter, look up the date for Valentine's Day, and in the next chapter, it might be clearer. Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it and adios for now! (PS, if you haven't heard the song I had Horatio and Calleigh dance to, you have to find it! It is sooooo beautiful!)


	8. Ignoring Love

Chapter 2 of my Valentine's part is here! This is going to be the last part, so I hope you like it! ENJOY!!!

--

Horatio squeezed her hand as they wandered down to the beach. He brought her hand up to his mouth and softly kissed her hand, while she smiled softly at him. Suddenly, she broke away from him and jogged away until she was a few yards ahead of him. She turned around and began walking backwards, grinning at him.

"Careful, sweetheart, you could fall!" Horatio called, trying to catch up. She only widened her grin and kicked her shoes off.

"Catch me if you can, Handsome!" She called, turning around and taking off. Horatio barked out a laugh before running after her. She eluded his capture, just as he was getting close she would dart to the left or right, keeping out of his hands. He was laughing in frustration as they kept running on the beach. But then, Calleigh's foot caught on a pile of sand and went flying through the air with a startled cry. Horatio picked up speed and caught her by pulling her into his arms, but they both fell down onto the sand with thud. Horatio immediately put his hands on Calleigh's face and looked at her, asking,

"Are you okay, Calleigh?"

"I'm fine." Calleigh said, drawing in a shaky breath. Horatio was concerned, but then she lay down on the sand and began shaking with laughter. Horatio smiled and lay down next to her, gripping her hand and soon he couldn't stop laughing either. Her laughter was so infectious, they both were breathless with laughter by the time either of them were able to stop. As they both quieted down and gazed into the sky, Horatio realized what date it was. He sat up with a start and looked at Calleigh with horror-struck eyes.

"Calleigh, I am so sorry."

"What? Why?"

"I forgot Valentine's Day!" Horatio said, dropping his head into his hands.

"Don't worry, Handsome, that's why I took today and tomorrow off, I knew you'd forget, so I'm giving you the chance to make it up to me." Calleigh said, sitting up on her elbows. Horatio raised his head up and stood up, pulling Calleigh with him.

"C'mon, I've got to get home." He said, and she was confused. He didn't say anything as they walked back to where their shoes lay, and when they got to the Hummer, Calleigh asked,

"Okay, can I get an explanation now?"

"Nope. Not yet." Horatio said as he drove away, deep in thought. Calleigh laid back with her arms folded, kind of hurt but not showing it. When Horatio pulled up at her house, she got out without saying anything and slammed the door. She stalked to her house and shut the door, locking it with the deadbolt and the knob. She waited a few minutes and then looked out.

Horatio's Hummer was gone.

Calleigh hung her head as she got a huge bowl of ice cream and curled up on the couch to watch music videos. "Another Valentine's night alone, Duquesne." She muttered to herself, and scowled at nothing in particular. When she finished the ice cream, she put the bowl away and curled up on the couch, flipping through the channels. She finally settled on watching more music videos, and drifted off while watching "Love Story" by Taylor Swift.

The next thing she knew, the lock on her front door clicked and the door swung open quietly. Calleigh snapped her eyes open and quickly reached for her gun, making sure the safety was off. She got up and snuck around through the kitchen to the entrance hallway, and saw a man walking inside after he shut the door. Calleigh snuck up behind him and put the barrel to his head, saying,

"Miami-Dade PD, put your hands behind your head and get on your knees, now!"

"Easy Cal, it's just me." Horatio's voice said, and Calleigh lowered her gun quickly, putting the safety back on. She turned on her heel and walked away from him, not saying anything to him. He followed her, but she strode into her bedroom and shut the door in his face. "Cal, open the door." He said, but she just curled up on her bed hugging her knees and refused to say anything. The door swung open, and Horatio sat on the edge of the bed. She scooted away from him, but still said nothing. "Cal, say something." She shook her head, and he sighed. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and wrote,

"I am mad at you. I am not talking to you." Horatio sighed again and said,

"I'm sorry, Calleigh. I needed to get some stuff together so I could make up missing Valentine's Day for you. I shouldn't have blown you off, but I wanted it to be a surprise." Calleigh looked at him with her eyes narrowed and then nodded.

"Fine. But it's 3am, can I at least go back to bed?"

"Depends." Horatio said with a wicked grin.

"Depends on what?" Calleigh asked hesitantly.

"On whether or not I get to be your pillow." He said, and she rolled her eyes with a smile. She pulled the covers over herself and felt Horatio lay down next to her. She quickly turned and found herself enveloped in his arms. "I really am sorry, sweetheart." He said quietly, and she murmured into his chest,

"Yeah, I know." She snuggled up next to him, and he hugged her close. They both drifted off to sleep, and in the morning, they welcomed the sun waking them up instead of a cruel alarm. Horatio opened his eyes to find Calleigh gone form his arms. He immediately got up, and heard the shower running. With a grin he slipped into the bathroom, but found a note that said,

"Handsome, I figured you'd come in if you heard the shower running. Take a shower first, and then come to the kitchen. I've got a surprise for you." Horatio grinned and took a shower before dressing in a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. Horatio then slipped into the kitchen and found Calleigh standing at the counter, singing softly to "Any Man Of Mine" by Shania Twain. He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, saying quietly,

"You sing beautifully, Calleigh."

"Why thank you, Handsome!" She said, turning around and receiving a good morning kiss. Horatio looked around and saw the table set with heart-shaped pancakes, syrup, orange juice in cups with painted hearts on them, plates and silverware with the same kind of hearts on them, and a heart tablecloth. To top it all off, there was red and pink hearts scattered all over the table. Horatio smile and raised an eyebrow at Calleigh. She just grinned and sat down. He sat across from her and they ate breakfast together. When the finished, Calleigh sprang up and dashed to her bedroom, and then came back, presenting Horatio with an envelope with a flourish. He opened it and the front read,

"Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and blah blah blah!" He laughed, and opened it. Calleigh's recorded voice said, "You are my Valentine, Lieutenant Horatio Caine, fighter of evil and all that good stuff." Then, Martina McBride's "My Valentine" began to play, and the inside read, "There's no poem to really describe how I feel for you, my Valentine. I love you! Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Calleigh." Horatio stared at the card, as he had never told Calleigh he loved her, and neither had she. He looked up, but she was already gone. He got up and searched for her, finally finding her changing in her bedroom. She had put a tank top on, along with a pair of jeans and Horatio said quietly,

"Calleigh." She turned around and Horatio pulled her into his arms, locking his lips on hers. "I love you too." He murmured against her lips, and she smiled before pulling him into another kiss as they both tumbled onto the bed.

For the rest of the day, all they did was eat and lounge around Calleigh's house doing nothing, absolutely canceling Horatio's plans for the day. That night, Horatio went home to his own house, as they both had to get up early for work, and they both knew that if he stayed, there would be no sleep-getting at all.

--

End of my Valentine's part! I hope you liked it, and the next holiday is going to be Spay Day on February 24th, although I have no idea what that is! If I can't find out, then it'll be President's Day, as they have that off work! If you know, then let me know what you think: President's Day or Spay Day, whatever the heck that is! It says it on my calendar, and it says USA, so I'm guessing it's for the US, but that's just me! Thanks for reading, and adios for now!!! (Oh, and I might just change it to Spa Day, that would make more sense, don't you think? Let me know, please!)


	9. Going Home

This is going to be my Mardi Gras part of my holiday story!!! (I know it took me FORVER to update, but for some reason, I had the hardest time picturing Mardi Gras, as I've never been there But triple-thanks to LA Calleigh for giving me that idea and a lot of GREAT info on Mardi Gras! You Rock!!!! So, instead of President's Day, it's Mardi Gras weekend! Dedicated to LA Calleigh! ENJOY!!!

--

The work week that followed Valentine's Day was a busy one. Horatio made sure that he and Calleigh never worked the same cases, therefore not giving Stetler one single excuse. He had only seen her when she was processing a bullet for him, or when she walked by his office, beaming him her famous Duquesne 200 watt smile. He really missed holding her, but he had to stay away from her to form his plans for the weekend, and he knew that if he stayed with her overnight, she would discover his plans, and he really didn't want that.

Finally it was Thursday and Horatio began to set his plans in motion when he got to work early that morning. He slipped into the locker room and stuck a piece of paper in Calleigh's locker before going to his desk to gather up assignments. He strode into the break room to find Calleigh, Ryan, Eric and Natalia all sitting around, talking.

"All right, Eric, you and I have a drive-by shooting on the beach, Ryan, you and Natalia have a B&E on the South side, and Calleigh, you're with Eric and I. Any questions?" Everyone shook their heads, and Horatio gave a slip to Ryan and one to Eric. Eric went out to get his kit with Ryan and Natalia, and as Calleigh walked by Horatio, she slipped a piece of paper into his pocket. He smiled gently as she walked away, and then pulled it out, reading it. "Calleigh, meet me at the Corner Bistro at noon. No exceptions." He was puzzled, but then flipped it over and read Calleigh's handwriting, "I wouldn't stand you up, Handsome." He smiled and went to join Eric and Calleigh in the Hummer.

When noon came around, Horatio slipped out, putting his sunglasses on and walking down the street to the bistro he had told Calleigh to meet him at. He saw a southern blonde standing outside the bistro, looking up the road. He called, "Calleigh!" She turned to face him and a smile brightened her face. She jogged towards him and threw her arms around his neck, while he wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up and twirling her around for a moment. She laughed, and then put her forehead on his.

"I missed you." She said quietly, and he nodded, pressing his lips to hers for a long moment before answering,

"I know. I missed you too." She smiled and then slid her hands down to grab onto his, saying,

"Ready to eat?"

"Starving. Let's go." She smiled as they walked into the bistro and sat down, ordering sandwiches. Horatio ordered a hot beef sandwich, while Calleigh got a hot ham and cheese. As they ate, they talked about the case, glad that they could talk freely now that they weren't in front of their colleagues.

Eventually Horatio stood up, and paid the check amidst Calleigh's protests. He took her hand and led her out of the restaurant, and took her to his Hummer. "Horatio?" She questioned, and he shook his head, opening the passenger door for her.

"Alexx is coming to pick up your car. You and I need to pack." He said mysteriously, but didn't say anything else as she got in and Horatio drove them silently to Calleigh's house. He told her that he'd pick her up in about an hour, and she had to be packed for the long weekend in clothes for warm weather. Horatio took off to his house to pack, and when he returned in an hour, Calleigh was sitting on her porch, a few suitcases packed. Horatio got out and walked up to her, and sat next to her. She faced him, and said flatly,

"I am not leaving until you tell me where we're going."

"Home." Horatio said quietly with a smile, and Calleigh was confused.

"If you do not tell me exactly where we're going…" She said threateningly, and Horatio smiled, saying,

"I'll just pick you up and take you there. I'm not telling you, Beautiful, get used to it." He kissed her forehead, and she had to fight a smile as she said,

"I'll cry kidnapping." Horatio laughed, and said softly,

"Just trust me on this. I want it to be a surprise."

To his surprise, Calleigh stood up and smiled, offering her hand to Horatio. "That's all you had to say, Handsome. Now, do we have a plane to catch or something?"

Horatio took her hand and pulled her down onto his lap, nuzzling her neck and saying, "Yeah, we have a plane to catch. But that can wait a few moments. I just need to hold you."

Calleigh smiled and hugged him, pressing her lips to his. A few moments passed, and Horatio stood up, letting Calleigh stand on the ground. They both grabbed one of Calleigh's suitcases, and loaded them up in the car.

As Horatio drove them to the airport, Calleigh laid her head on Horatio's shoulder gently so it didn't get in the way of his driving. He laid his head on top of hers, and when they pulled up at the airport, he pressed his lips to her temple for a long moment, and then they both got out, taking their suitcases with them.

Eventually, they both were sitting in the terminal, waiting for their flight to be announced. Calleigh was listening to her iPod and reading a JD Roberts book, "Survivor In Death"

Horatio was flipping through the newspaper, and when he got to the puzzles page, he pulled out an erasable pen and began doing the crossword.

An hour passed, and then the announcer came over the loudspeaker, saying, "Flight 4322 is boarding for Louisiana at the moment."

Calleigh knew that flight 4322 was their flight, and she realized they were going to Louisiana. Horatio was watching her carefully for her reaction, and she grinned at him, as the full realization of what they were doing hit her. They both stood up and Calleigh threw her arms around Horatio's neck, saying excitedly,

"I'm going home! We're going home!" Horatio lifted her up in the air a little and spun her around once, both of them laughing.

"Yes, we both are." Horatio said, putting his forehead on hers. She pressed her lips to his, and said softly,

"Thank you, Horatio. This means a lot to me."

"It'll mean a lot more when you realize why we're going there." Horatio said with a wry grin, and left Calleigh puzzling as they boarded their flight.

--

End of this chapter! Only one more to go for the Mardi Gras part, and then it'll be one chapter for St. Patrick's day. (I'm only doing that holiday because Horatio Caine AKA David Caruso is Irish!) Thank you so much for reading, and especially to LA Calleigh, I hope this chapter was okay, and I hope the next one will be okay too! Adios for now!


	10. Sibling Banter

Okay, I admit, I lied. There's two more parts to the Mardi Gras part, and then it'll be St. Patrick's Day, and then the first day of Spring! I know I'm way behind, but I'm working on catching up. I just finished the Spanish Mid-Term, and I had to study for, like, a month on that stupid test! I finally believe that people who can speak Spanish, or any language besides English, are geniuses. Pure genius. Simple as that. If you can speak another language, I need to know something. What is your secret? Seriously! Well, sorry for rambling so much! ENJOY!!!

--

"Horatio?" Calleigh asked softly, placing her hand on his arm. HE stirred, and opened one of his eyes.

"Yes ma'am?" He said sleepily, and she grinned, it was just like Horatio to remember his manners, even though he had just been rudely awoken from a deep sleep.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"No thank you." He said softly, brushing two of his fingers down her jaw line. She smiled, and asked,

"How about something to eat?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart, but you go ahead." He said, blinking a few times.

"No, I'm okay. You can go back to sleep now." She said with a quiet smile, and Horatio's hand slipped onto her shoulders, and turned her around until she faced him. He snaked his arm around her waist, lifting up the armrest with the other hand and pulling her back against his chest. He rested his head on top of hers and said,

"Now I can go back to sleep." Calleigh smiled and relaxed against him, gripping his hands with hers as they both drifted off.

They awoke to the sound of the plane landing, and separated, buckling themselves in. Calleigh tightened her grip on Horatio's hand and chewed her gum to makes ure that her ears didn't pop. As the plane descended, Calleigh's grip increased on Horatio's hand, and Horatio chuckled, saying in her ear,

"Scared, sweetheart?"

"No, I just don't want my ears to pop. I absolutely hate that." Calleigh said vehemently, and Horatio laughed, though he nodded in agreement, saying,

"Yeah, it's not the best feeling in the world."

The plane landed smoothly, and Calleigh got up, waiting for everyone to get out, and so did Horatio. It took the rest of the passengers forever to get off the plane, so Horatio put his arms around Calleigh's waist and pressed his lips to the back of her neck, smiling as he did so.

"I still can't believe you did this for me, Handsome." She murmured, and Horatio's hand tilted her face to the right so he could look her in the eyes and said softly, as he looked straight in her eyes,

"Believe it, Beautiful." She smiled, and brushed her lips with his as she said,

"How could I not? I can already feel that Louisiana air." Horatio grinned as they grabbed their carry-on and they walked off the plane together.

A few hours later, after they had passed through security and had gotten their bags off the rack, they walked to the front of the airport. Calleigh saw her 3 older brothers standing in the distance, and shot Horatio a surprised grin. He just raised an eyebrow, and she dropped her bags, running towards the three men, saying,

"Garth! Charlie! Chris!"

She threw her arms around Garth, her oldest brother's neck and he swung her around a few times, and then put her on the ground, and she fell into Charlie's arms, her second-oldest brother. He swung her onto his back, and Chris reached up to give Calleigh a kiss on her cheek, as Chris was her youngest brother, but was still older than her. All four siblings were laughing, and Horatio stood off to the side, watching Calleigh with a look of love on his face as he saw the look of pure happiness on Calleigh's face.

Horatio sighed, he really hoped that one day, he could make Calleigh just as happy as being back home was to her right now.

Calleigh looked right at him, and then disentangled herself from Garth, Charlie and Chris, and ran over to him. She threw her arms around his neck, and he pulled her in close. She backed away a little and pressed her lips to his, saying softly,

"Thank you so much, Horatio."

"You're welcome, Calleigh." He said with a smile, and then she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards her brothers and began to introduce them all.

"This muscle-mania guy is Garth Duquesne, he's the oldest." Calleigh said, and Horatio shook Garth's hand. "This tough, gangster-looking bad boy is Charlie Duquesne, he's the second-oldest." Calleigh added, pointing to Charlie, and Horatio and Charlie shook hands. "And finally, this scrawny kid is Chris Duquesne, the third-oldest, 'cause I'm the youngest." She said finally, and Horatio shook hands with Chris.

"Nice to finally meet you, Lieutenant." Garth said, and Charlie said slyly,

"Yeah, Cal here talks about you every time she calls." Calleigh flushed red and said,

"That's only because he's the best Lieutenant in the business."

"See? There she goes again." Chris said teasingly, and Calleigh rolled her eyes, sighing and saying,

"See what I had to deal with every single day of my youth? Now you know why I got outta this place as soon as I possibly could."

"Oh, you wound me, Cal." Charlie said, pretending to clutch his heart and stagger.

"You belong on the stage, Char." Garth said quietly, his voice shaking with laughter, and Chris nodded enthusiastically.

"You know what?" Charlie said, narrowing his eyes, and Garth got in his face, saying,

"What?"

"I have no idea." Charlie admitted, and everyone laugh. Calleigh whispered in Horatio's ear,

"They're like this all the time, Handsome, I'm sorry if it gets boring."

"No worries, sweetheart, Ray and I used to banter like this all the time." Horatio said, swallowing past the lump in his throat as he talked about Ray. Calleigh rubbed his arm, knowing Ray's memory was painful to him, and he shot her a grateful glance.

Finally, Horatio, Calleigh and Garth got into Garth's mustang, while Charlie and Chris got into the Jeep with all the luggage. A few hours later, Calleigh and Horatio were settled in, and Calleigh was bringing Horatio down to meet her mother.

"Ready for this, Handsome?" She whispered, and Horatio chuckled, saying,

"Ready as I'll ever be, Beautiful." Calleigh grinned, and then walked into the kitchen with him, where a woman stood that was, without a doubt, Calleigh's mother. The woman was a spitting image of Calleigh, or rather, the other way around. The only difference was the eyes, the jaw and the facial makeup, that was Kenwall Duquesne's, but the rest of Calleigh came from Allyssa Duquesne, Calleigh's mother.

"I'm Allyssa, Calleigh's mother." Allyssa said, and Horatio shook her hand.

"Horatio Caine." He said, and added, "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to finally meet you, Lieutenant." Allyssa said, and then looked at the clock. "You'd better get going if you don't want to be late. We'll talk later, Lieutenant Caine."

"It's Horatio, ma'am." Horatio said politely, and Allyssa nodded with a smile, and said,

"And 'ma'am' makes me feel old. Call me Allyssa."

"You are old." Calleigh muttered, and dashed out the door as Allyssa hollered,

"Calleigh Emily Duquesne! You'd better run!"

Horatio jogged out after Calleigh, and they both laughed as Calleigh took Horatio's hand and he led her down the road, both of them still laughing. When their chuckles finally subsided, Calleigh asked,

"So where're we going, Handsome?"

"Somewhere." He replied mysteriously, and Calleigh rolled her eyes, but slipped her arm into the crook of Horatio's arm and laid her head on his shoulder as they walked down the road together.

--

End of this chapter! The next chapter will be the final part of Mardi Gras, and then it'll be St. Patrick's Day, right? I think so! I hope you liked this addition, and thanks for reading! Adios for now!!!


	11. Mardi Party

Chapter 11, or part 3 and final part of Mardi Gras is up!!! Calleigh finally finds out where they're going, and then they party, and then they go to a bar, and Calleigh meets up with someone, and Horatio gets jealous! And then I incorporate a real event that happened at Mardi Gras! That was the basic summary, I know it was bad, but ENJOY!!!

--

Calleigh began thinking about where they could possibly going, but then it hit her: Mardi Gras. "You're not, are you?" Calleigh asked, stopping in the middle of the road.

"Hm?" Horatio asked innocently, a broad grin stretching across his face as Calleigh pieced it together.

"You didn't. Did you?" She said, narrowing her eyes at him, and his smile widened as he said,

"Of course I did." Calleigh laughed and threw her arms around his neck and he pulled her close, and she said in his ear, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," He murmured, and then eased back. He grabbed her hand, and they continued to walk towards the heart of New Orleans. When they got to the heart of the party, they saw that the parade was in full swing. They managed to get through the crowd and stand near the road to see the parade go by.

Horatio snaked his arms around Calleigh's waist and she leaned against his chest as they watched the parade, smiling and laughing the entire time. A few times, Calleigh leapt up to catch some beads, and held onto them tightly, while Horatio watched her with a loving smile on his face. Anyone watching could tell that he loved the blonde so much.

Eventually, the parade ended, and Calleigh knew that it was time for the fireworks. She dragged Horatio over to the best standing area for the fireworks, and Horatio said into her ear, "When're the fireworks supposed to start, Beautiful?"

Calleigh shrugged, and jiggled the beads back and forth, saying, "Gotta love the beads, huh Horatio?"

Horatio shrugged and looked down at his own beads that Calleigh had put over his head, and said, "Yeah sure. Whatever you say, sweetheart." Calleigh spun around in his arms and placed her hands on his chest, exclaiming,

"You don't like them, do you?"

"No, it's not that, it's just, well…"

"It's just that you're a guy and guys don't wear necklaces, right?" Calleigh said dismissively, and Horatio shrugged. He ducked his head, but Calleigh crouched down a little so their eyes would meet and said,

"Look around. I don't see a single guy not wearing beads. You're blending in, Handsome, you've got nothing to worry about."

"If you say so, Beautiful." Horatio said, a smile twitching on his face. She grinned and pressed her lips to his just as the first firework exploded in the sky. They jumped apart and Calleigh laughed as the sky exploded in almost all the colors of the rainbow, and some colors not found in the rainbow.

After a little while, the fireworks started exploding faster and faster, and Horatio said, "Finale time."

"Maybe, maybe not." Calleigh said wisely, remembering the fireworks from her youth. They would trick you into thinking that it was the finale, when really it wasn't. The fireworks slowed down again but kept going, and Calleigh grinned, saying, "Told you. Fake finale."

Horatio just smiled and kissed her forehead, and then the fireworks really started to explode. Horatio wasn't buying it this time, but Calleigh shouted, "Finale time!"

The last firework exploded with a deafening BANG, and everyone clapped. Horatio and Calleigh clapped along with them, and then she spotted one of her favorite bars from when she was growing up.

"C'mon!" She said, grabbing Horatio's hand and pulling him towards the bar, "The Old Friend"

"Why?" Horatio asked simply, but let himself be pulled along, enjoying the rare sight of Calleigh in her element, truly and absolutely herself.

"I have to see an old friend." Calleigh said slyly, and Horatio laughed at the irony. He followed her, and she called to the bartender, "Hey, Mikey!"

The bartender, a man a little older than Calleigh turned and exclaimed, "Cal!" She dashed behind the bar and threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her close, and then she kissed his cheek as she backed away.

"Change your mind?" He asked lowly, raising an eyebrow. Calleigh blushed and shook her head with a laugh, saying,

"Nope. Just came in for Mardi Gras with a good friend of mine."

"How 'good' is good?" Mikey asked, and Calleigh lightly slapped him, turned around and went in search of Horatio, who was watching silently by the doorway. She grabbed his hand gently and pulled him to meet Mikey.

"Mike Douglas." Mikey said, extending his hand.

"Horatio Caine." Horatio said coolly, and shook Mikey's hand. Calleigh was going to order a drink when Horatio said quietly in Calleigh's ear, "I'm going to head back, Cal, I've gotta call Eric and ask him how the case is going."

She looked at him strangely and said, "Okay, I'll come with you. Just gimme a second." Horatio nodded and waited as she turned to Mikey and hugged him, saying, "Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow, Mikey."

"Do that, Cal." Mike said, and Calleigh turned to walk out. Horatio made to follow her, but Mikey caught Horatio's arm and said, "You trying to control her, Caine?"

"No. Just trying to protect her from creeps like you." Horatio said evenly, staring Mikey in the eyes. They had met in New York, when Horatio was on the case of a young woman who had been raped. Mike had been his prime suspect, and he had gotten enough evidence to convict him, but then a fire had been set in the evidence locker, and the evidence had been destroyed. Mike had gotten off scot-free, but Horatio hadn't forgotten. And he wasn't going to let his Calleigh get anywhere close to that bastard without him close by.

"She's not yours, Caine." Mike growled, and Horatio narrowed his eyes, saying,

"She's not yours, either. She belongs to no one, but I belong to her. Got that, Douglas?"

"Whatever. Get out of my bar." Mike said, letting Horatio go.

"Gladly." Horatio said, and walked out, letting his temper cool down so Calleigh wouldn't suspect anything. He saw her wandering down the road, and jogged to catch up with her. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pressed his lips to her temple.

"Didn't kill him, now, did you?" Calleigh asked, laughter in her voice, and he shook his head, saying,

"Nope. He's still alive and breathing." _Regrettably._ Horatio thought, but didn't say. Calleigh took Horatio's hand as they walked back to the house Calleigh grew up in, and saw that her mother was out, somewhere in Mardi Gras, no doubt.

When Calleigh and Horatio got upstairs in the room they'd be staying in, Horatio gently grabbed Calleigh's waist and backed her against he wall, putting his forehead on hers and said,

"Calleigh, I need you to do something for me."

"Okay," Calleigh said simply, but added, "But first you have to answer a question."

"Go ahead." Horatio said, and Calleigh replied,

"Why don't you and Mike like each other?"

"Long story." Horatio muttered, but took a deep breath and said, "My turn. Please, sweetheart, stay away from Mike unless I'm with you, or one of your brothers, please."

"Why?" Calleigh asked, speechless. Horatio sighed and told her about the rape case. When he finished, Calleigh's eyes had hardened and she said, "That bastard!"

"Please, Calleigh, stay away from him." He pleaded, and she nodded, placing her hands on his face as she said quietly,

"If it'll make you feel better, Handsome, then I'll do anything." He nodded his thanks, and pressed his lips gently against hers. Horatio scooped her up in his arms and laid her down on her bed as he lay down next to her and pulled her close to him, and she snuggled into his chest.

And then a shot rang out in the quiet stillness, startling them both to an upright position. They grabbed their guns that they had stuck in their suitcases, and ran down the stairs and out into the night, as Calleigh heard her mother scream.

"Mom!" Calleigh yelled as she and Horatio ran towards town that was only a few blocks away. She saw a crowd running, and ran in the opposite direction. Another few shots ring out, and Horatio stopped in his tracks when he heard Calleigh's scream.

"Calleigh? Calleigh! Where are you?" He yelled, but there wasn't an answer as some more shots rang out. And then he saw the object of his love lying on the ground.

"Calleigh!"

--

Gotta love my cliff-hangers, right? And now you're going to hate me, because I can't update until next weekend! I'm going on a school trip to New York, and I don't have a laptop, there aren't computers in the hotel rooms, let alone internet access, so I'll have to resort to paper and a pen and then type the chapters when I get back! I'm so sorry for the delay, but then again, I can't wait to go to New York City! Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it! I had to add the Mike/rapist part, because I was writing too much fluff, and I'm toying with the idea of Mike visiting her in the hospital, and then Horatio ruining his reputation in New Orleans by telling everyone he's a rapist. Wow, I'm blabbering too much, so adios for a week!!!


	12. Revenge Shots

Chapter 12 is up, and this isn't really a holiday story, it's more like a chapter bridging Mardi Gras to St. Patrick's Day, soooooooo ENJOY!!!

--

Horatio ducked the gun fire as he raced to Calleigh's limp figure, and he nearly freaked when he saw the puddle of blood coming from the bullet wound in her stomach. With almost shaking hands he rolled Calleigh over on her back and ripped off his jacket, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

"Stay with me, Cal," He muttered, and yelled over his shoulder "Get me an ambulance NOW!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice growled in his ear, "I don't think so." Horatio turned around to see a gun barrel in his face, and he stared up at the face of Mike Douglas.

"You bastard. You shot her." Horatio said quietly and deadly, and Mike smirked, saying,

"Well, since I couldn't have her, you sure as hell couldn't. Now get up."

"No." Horatio growled, keeping his hands on Calleigh's wound, pressing down as hard as he could to try and clot the bleeding.

"Get up, or I'll shoot her again, and this time, I won't miss her heart." Mike said, aiming the gun at Calleigh's chest. Horatio's shoulders slumped, and he slowly got to his feet, and Mike grabbed his arm.

Horatio felt something prick his arm, and then he fell into unconsciousness, muttering, "Save Calleigh, someone save her." Mike tossed him into the back of a car and drove off in a hurry, not wanting to be there when the police got there.

Meanwhile, Calleigh's mom came racing out of the house with a shotgun, having heard Horatio's shout. She was ready to open fire when she saw her baby girl lying on the ground, bleeding to death. When she didn't see Horatio anywhere, she figured he had gone after the jerk that had shot her daughter.

She yelled, "Get me a damned ambulance, people!" With that, she dropped to her knees nest to Calleigh and checked for a pulse, but didn't find one. She began CPR, while she heard sirens in the background.

"Come on, baby girl, just stay with me. Don't leave us now, Cal, stay with me." A few medics brought a stretcher, and carefully loaded Calleigh up, shoving her into the ambulance and Allyssa hopped in next to Calleigh, while she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Garth's wife, Dr. Eva Duquesne.

"Eva Duquesne." Eva's voice said, and Allyssa said,

"Eva, it's Allyssa."

"What's wrong?" Eva demanded, because she could hear the distress in her mother-in-law's voice.

"It's Cal. She came in for Mardi Gras with her boyfriend, and she got shot. We're on our way, Eva, I need you to be her doctor."

"All right, I'm on my way to the entrance, I'll be waiting for you when you get here. No worries, Allyssa, my team is one of the best. We'll take care of her." Eva said, and hung up before Allyssa could hear the shakiness in her own voice. She and Calleigh were like blood sisters, and if she lost her, there would be nothing to console her.

Eva shook aside those thoughts and braced herself to save her sister-in-law's life. No matter what it took, Calleigh would be alive and breathing by the end of the surgery, and on the road to recovery.

The ambulance pulled up at the hospital, and Eva, a Hispanic beauty, came running out, with her team following her. She immediately got to work on saving Calleigh's life, running with her to the operating room. Allyssa sat down with a sigh in the waiting room, and then saw Garth sit next to her, and Charlie and Chris came in and sat down as well. They all worried over their baby girl while Horatio awoke, groggy and a little dizzy.

"So glad you could join me, Lieutenant." Mike's sarcastic voice said, and Horatio felt a fist slam into his stomach. "That's for making me look bad." Mike growled, and Horatio fell onto his back, saying with a gasp,

"You did that to her yourself."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Right. A positive ID, forensics, I'd say you did." Horatio said, getting unsteadily to his feet. He couldn't keep the image of Calleigh lying bleeding to death on the street, and he wasn't about to get Mike away with Calleigh's murder. There. He had, well, thought it. There was no way Calleigh could survive without someone helping her to the hospital, and everyone had fled from the scene after Horatio had been drugged. At least, that's what he thought.

"Ah. A fighter, I see," Mike said tauntingly, and added, "I hope you're just as good with your fists as you are with your gun." He lunged at Horatio, but he sidestepped him. When Mike flew at him a second time, Horatio slammed his fist into Mike's face.

"That's for the young girl you raped." He growled, and then the two men began to circle each other.

"You're not gonna win this, Caine." Mike said smugly, and Horatio twitched a smile that wasn't from laughter, and said,

"We'll see."

And with that, it was like a bell had rung. Both men leapt at each other.

Meanwhile, Calleigh awoke from the surgery and saw her mom sitting next to her in a chair, sleeping. "Mom? Where's Horatio?" Calleigh asked, trying to sit up.

Allyssa was on her feet in an instant, relief evident on her face as she saw her daughter very much alive. She said quickly, "I don't know, sweetheart. He wasn't there when I got there."

"He went after Mike." Calleigh said quietly, to herself, but Allyssa heard her.

"Mike? The bartender?"

"Yes! He's the one who shot me, mom!"

"You must be confused, baby, he's sweet on you. He'd never…"

"No!" Calleigh exclaimed, desperate to make her mother understand. Horatio was probably in the hands of a rapist that was hell-bent on revenge towards Horatio, and they needed to go out and find him soon. And when she saw that her mother didn't believe her, she said, "Give me a phone and I'll prove it to you."

Allyssa reluctantly handed over her phone and Calleigh dialed Mac Taylor's number from memory. She heard his voice say,

"Taylor."

"Mac, it's Calleigh."

"Hey Calleigh. Long time no see, or hear for that matter."

"I know, but we'll have to catch up another time."

"I can tell. What's up?"

Calleigh rattled off the entire story, and when she finished, Mac was almost speechless. She heard Stella's voice in the background, and Calleigh said quickly, "So I need that case file, from when Mike raped that girl, can you fax it to the hospital in New Orleans?"

"Sure, I'll get Stella to do it." Mac said with a slight smile as Stella said in the background,

"I'm not an errand girl, Mac!" Calleigh managed to smile, and pretty soon Mac came back on the line and said,

"It's on it's way, Calleigh. I hope it helps, and when you find Horatio, have him give me a call, okay?"

"Will do, Mac. And thanks." She said, her voice softening at the end.

"You're very welcome." Mac said, equally soft, and then they clicked off as a nurse brought the case file to Calleigh's room. She handed it to her mom, who read it in disbelief.

But finally, Allyssa believe her, that Mike was a violent rapist, and that he probably had Horatio abducted somewhere.

--

Wow. I just wrote that chapter in, about a half hour! Geez, I must really want to get to the good part of the next chapter! I'm working on that chapter now, so it'll be up as soon as possible! Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked this chapter! Adios for now!


End file.
